How can we predict for the unknown? Drawing out underlying

trends from existing practice Gráinne Conole

Institute of Educational Technologyg.c.conole@open.ac.uk

Enhancing the education environmentQueens University, Belfast

18th September 2006

Current developments

Complexity and Interconnection:macro and micro contexts

Bridging the gap

Organisationalissues

Changing roles

Strategy & policy

Structures & processes

Staff development

Underpinningtechnologies

Mobile & ubiquitoustechnologies

The Grid: E-Science & E-Social Science

Personalised & adaptive

Standards

Infrastructures

Pedagogical aspects

E-literacies

New pedagogies

Models of practice

Case studies of innovation

Learning design

Experiences & perceptions

Contemporary perspectives in e-learning, Conole and Oliver (eds), Forthcoming. RoutledgeFalmer

LXP

Student experiences

Subject discipline differences

Uses of technologies

Effective e-learning strategies

Online survey

Audio logs Interviews

Learner Experiences Project

www.geodata.soton.ac.uk/eLRC/learner_survey

J. Darby - Southampton, M. de Laat - Exeter, T. Dillon - Bristol

Expected findingsUse of standard packages: Word, PowerPointData manipulation: Excel, statistical softwareUse of search engines/internet for information

Unexpected findingsUse of communication tools for learning: Mobile phone, Instant messaging, Discussion forums

VLE not so popular Often only provides content or teacher notes/powerpoint slidesComputer science students prefer to build their own infrastructure and websites

Internet sites for meanings and glossary

Mobile phone find out about course work

MSM to send course work to frie

nds

Internet for research essay

Google keywords/phrase

Wikipedia and podcasts

Mobile to text class mates to get exam hintsBlogs - personal reflectionInternet and search enginesTie in key concepts and subject matter

Mobile to get assignment cover sheet

Course websites confusing

Use of other students’ homepages

Burning onto CDs, plagarism checks

E-Portf

olio and lin

k

to pro

fessional pra

ctice

Survey qualitative data

I use email t

o communicate with

everyone,

especially le

cturers; arra

nging meetin

gs,

asking questions about w

ork and queries

over assignments etc I w

rite all m

y assignments

using Word

and to sort

through th

e inform

ation I f

ind,

make notes of what I

still need to

do and spell check

my emails th

at I'm sending to

lecturers.

Search engines are used to fin

d news articles

I use them to find out information for

assignments, and also to help me clarify

my notes on each subject area that I study.

Instant messaging is used to discuss

issues with friends if a topic is not understood

Use it to manage my data and thoughts... endnote for referencing spss - stats software - easier Data entry, producing stats

The first thing i do when given any piece of word is type it into a search engine! this gives me the opportunity to see how different people interpret the title. from there i can focus on one main idea and use the electronic resources to support my initial findings or indeed rule them out. e-mail is always vital with communicating with different mediums. teachers for support

Survey qualitative data

The use of the in

ternet h

as replaced m

any aspects

of my studying before I u

sed the in

ternet.

I generally

start by using th

e intern

et for r

esearch

and then m

ove to books etc w

hen I have th

e backgro

und info

My PDA is useful for reading

things when I'm on the move.

I use my laptop to store data and type my course works. The MP3 player serves as a storage media used to save most of my assignments, electronic journals and articles, while I use MS word application to type most of my course works. The electronic library gives me access to books, journals and articles all of which are important for my study

Instant messenger and skype for communicating with students, powerpoint for laying out slides and revision notes. Do not use any graphical packages for my studies but do use them for extra-curricular activities

Information Communication

Perceptions

Environment

Practice

InformationContentMaterials and information freely available on the InternetPerceived worth and value of materialMore interactivity Higher presentation standards

EvaluationNew skills needed in terms of assessing worth of content over the internet and ensuring work is that of the student

InteractivityGaming generation, used to highly, engaging and entertaining environmentsEvidence of a shift from passive to interactive interactions across all aspects of their learning

Communication

CommunicationUsing tools in a variety of ways to communicate – with friends, family, peers and tutors Use of the internet to access expert knowledge (indirect form of communication)Expectation of being able to communicate with anyone about anything when they want to

CollaborationNew forms of collaboration possible both with peers and via new ‘smart’ and adaptive technologies – distributed cognition and shared enterprise with tools

Environment

MediaMixed media – increase of USB pens, ipods, mps players, integrated phones, better screen displays for reading

Near ubiquitousMany now have their own PCs and wireless internet access – becoming accustomed to being able to access information or contact people on demand, anywhere

PerceptionsComfortable with technologySee it as integral

Nothing special – another tool to support their learning

Sophisticated use Different tools for different purposes

Critically aware of the pros and cons

ExpectationsAccess up to date and relevant

information and resources vital

ImplicationsMismatch between institutions perceptions

of student use of technology and actual use

PracticeIntegratedUse of tools in a combination of ways to suit individual needs Evidence of mixing and matching, comfortable with switching between media, sites, tools, content, etc.

Pervasive and personalisedExtensive use to find, manage and produce content Use of computer, internet and books simultaneouslyUsing their community of peers to share resources, get help, peer assess

Changing work patternsNew working practices using an integrated range of toolsUse of tools is changing the way they gather, use and create knowledgeSkills – shift from lower to higher levels of Blooms taxonomy

ManagementSophisticated at finding and managing information (searching and structuring)Used to having easy access to information (for travel, entertainment etc) and therefore have an expectation of the same for their courses

Context and complexity

Socio-cultural/technological trends

Organisational/policy constraints

Macro-context

Technological affordances

Pedagogical approaches

Micro-context

Culturally rich and complex society

with changing norms and values

Unpredictable, constantly changing world

Increasing impact of technology

Unintended consequences

and manufactured risks

Networked society

Society

Work

Education

Technology

Globalisation

Cultures

Time

Values

Boundaries

Fads

Policy directives

Economy

Identity

National

Strategy

Mission

Institutional

Individual roles and identities

Individual

Context and complexity

Technological affordances

Pedagogical approaches

Micro-context

Mobile technologies

Blogs and Wikis

Technology-enabled spaces

Personalised environments

Grid technologies

Adaptive technologies

Podcasting

ICT affordances

Access to wealth of resources Information overload, quality issues

New forms of dialogue Literacy skills issues

New forms of community Learner identity and confusion

Speed of access, immediacy Lack of permanency, surface

Virtual representations Lack of reality, real is fake

AccessibilitySpeed of changeDiversityCommunication & collaborationReflection

MultimodalityRiskImmediacyMonopolisationSurveillance

Conole and Dyke, 2004

Learning by doing

Through experience

Through dialogue

Socially situated

Through reflection

Mercer

VygotskyLaurillardPapart

Kolb

Dewey

LaveJarvis

Paiget

Wenger

Key characteristics

of learningIn the company

of others

Pedagogical approaches

Gap between thepotential of the technologies

(confusion over how they can be used)and

application of good pedagogical principles(confusion over which models to use)

ActivitiesUse of different mobile devices in a range of settings (formal and informal) and for a range of purposes (collecting data, communicating findings, instructing others), imparting situated information

Assistive and mind mapping software to help develop presentation skills

Vicarious or experientiallearning throughvideos and peer critique

Collaborative learning through discussion – ‘virtual student common rooms’ and cyber café, collaboration assessment tasks

Rich, authentic virtual or blended augmented environments to encourage active, constructivist learning

Extensive and flexiblerepositories of resources which can be used and repurposed in a variety of ways

DialogPlus toolkit: http://www.nettle.soton.ac.uk/toolkit/

Distilling the essence of activities

Making the link

DidacticRe-production of knowledge

Approach Outcome Tasks Assessment

Knowledge Assimilative

Problem basedApplication of

concepts to problemsAnalysis Info handling

DialogicCritique and

argumentEvaluation Communicative

Learning activity taxonomy‘Context’, ‘Outcomes’, ‘Pedagogy’

‘Task’ (Type, technique, roles/interactions, tools/resources, assessment)

Models

Synthesis

Learning activity

Abstraction

Case studies

Present concepts

Assign tasks

Adapt in light of feedback

Represent concepts

Present content

Assign tasks

Give feedback

Test understanding

Associative Acquisition of skills through sequences of concepts/tasks and feedback

Guided instruction Drill and practice

TasksListen to video (assimilative)Respond to questions using

PRS/whiteboard (Info handling and experiential)Whole group discussion (communicative)

Roles: Indiv. and whole classTools and resources:

video, PRS, whiteboardAssessment:

formative

ESOLLearners can check understanding through series of structured tasks

and iterative feedback

Present concepts

Orientation in relation to own

knowledge

Explorationchoice of resources

to solve problem

Reflect observation

Activeexperimentation

Applicationof knowledge

gained

Constructivist Construction of meaning based on prior experience and context

Problem based Active learning

Abstract conceptualisation

Concrete experience

TasksRead problem (assimilative)

Explore environment (experiential)Identify relevant resources (Info handling)Apply resources to problem (experiential)

Written report on recommendations (productive)

Roles: IndividualTools and resources: Website, virtual PDA,

video clips, online subject specific tools

Assessment: summative

Exploring the NardooLearners set ecological problem

& use of range of resources to solve

Set discussiontopic

Set up format of

debate

Engage in discussion

Participate in scenario

Apply to personal context

Plenary and reflection

Situative Learning in social and/or authentic settings

Dialogic Situated learning

Reflect and discuss

Set up work-based scenario

TasksEstablish context (assimilative)

Do scenario (experiential)Watch play back (assimilative)Peer critique (communicative)Reflective diary (productive)

Roles: GroupTools and resources:

VIP suite, video camera, e-portfolio, subject specific

tools & instrumentsAssessment:

summative

Virtual Interactive PracticeLearners develop

understanding together through authentic scenarios followed by

peer-group critique

Information CommunicationPassive Interactive

Individual Social

Technologies for learning

Technologies for life

Active

Passive

Experience

Information

Social

Individual

Learning object

Shared repository

Active

Passive

Experience

Information

Social

Individual

Reusable Learning object

Active

Passive

Experience

Information

Social

Individual

Chat

Archived text